Britain's Lesley Paterson clinched gold in the Xterra USA Championship last weekend in Ogden (Utah) for the second consecutive year, giving her overall victory in the 2013 Xterra US Pro Series and a cheque for $10,000.
It was not all smooth sailing though: Paterson, 32, admits that she was suffering in the early stages of the race from the lingering effects of a cold, and found herself being overtaken by several others on the bike section.
“The legs just felt horrible,” she said. “We were at Wheeler Canyon and everyone was passing, and I’m a climber. I was like, ‘what’s going on?’”
Paterson found her rhythm though and managed to finish the bike leg more than a minute ahead of her nearest rival, going on to complete the course in 2:53:21.
In the men's races, 29-year-old Leonardo Cohen of Costa Rica took the pro title in his first appearance, while Josiah Middaugh (USA) came second, making him overall winner of the men's US Pro Series 2013.